Yunnan Eatery Dali Renjia and The Orchid Hotel Join Forces

My favourite Chinese restaurant, Yunnan place Dali Renjia (see review here) is moving up in the world. First off, they’ve launched a new menu (in English, with photos) and I sampled a spread of their surprisingly laowai-friendly dishes.

‘Black dragon pool’ diced beef (RMB 68) cubes of tender steak with trumpet mushrooms and diced pickles. Should be a hit, though a bit pricy.

Stir-fried pork neck with fresh mango (RMB 66) – another dish big on taste, with tender pieces of premium pork neck fried up with fresh mango. It’s a summer sizzler.

Dai-style three flavoured fish (RMB 58) - bathed in a tamarind-rich sauce, topped with aromatics, crispy lemongrass shards and toasted cashew nuts.

Sour and hot shrimp soup RMB 66 – basically a tom yum gong – tastes quite authentic, but really way too salty, really salty. Avoid.

Another new development for Dali Renjia - it's getting a second location, well, sort of. Being a little venue with a big appeal means they turn people away nightly. But they've struck a deal with boutique hotel and wine bar The Orchid across the street (if you haven't heard about this Gulou gem, check it out here). So now you can order your Yunnan directly and eat on the hotel garden rooftop in view of the Drum and Bell Towers, sipping wine or Great Leap beer (for a small premium, of course).